In subsea hydrocarbon production systems, production fluids may be transported via pipeline back to a topsides production facility. Multi-phase flow in deep-water pipelines can present significant challenges with respect to flow assurance and pressure loss. For transporting production fluids in long subsea pipelines, which can be more than 100 km long, flow assurance issues related to hydrate and wax production caused by multi-phase flow and temperature/pressure conditions, may necessitate separating the gas, oil, and water at or very near the well location, and transferring each phase through a separate pipeline. Alternatively or additionally, pipeline heating and insulation schemes, and/or chemical treatment methods may be employed. These solutions can be expensive, complex, and prone to maintenance challenges.
Therefore, there is an on-going desire to develop a technology that mitigates or eliminates these challenges in a cost effective way.